Ultrarelativistic (Cauchy) Spectral Problem in the Infinite Well

Abstract

We analyze spectral properties of the ultrarelativistic (Cauchy) operator $|\Delta |^{1/2}$, provided its action is constrained exclusively to the interior of the interval $[-1,1] \subset R$. To this end both analytic and numerical methods are employed. New high-accuracy spectral data are obtained. A direct analytic proof is given that trigonometric functions $\cos(n\pi x/2)$ and $\sin(n\pi x)$, for integer $n$ are {\it not} the eigenfunctions of $|\Delta |_D^{1/2}$, $D=(-1,1)$. This clearly demonstrates that the traditional Fourier multiplier representation of $|\Delta |^{1/2}$ becomes defective, while passing from $R$ to a bounded spatial domain $D\subset R$.